Week 3 Prompt

1. I am looking for a book by Laurell K. Hamilton. I just read the third book in the Anita Blake series and I can’t figure out which one comes next!

I looked in Novelist to find the Anita Blake books. I clicked on the series tab and found that the fourth book in the series is The Lunatic Cafe. Another site that would be quick to use is fantasticfiction.com.

2. What have I read recently? Well, I just finished this great book by Barbara Kingsolver, Prodigal Summer. I really liked the way it was written, you know, the way she used language. I wouldn't mind something a bit faster paced though.

I searched Prodigal Summer using Novelist and found two read-alike books that I might suggest, both are described as richly detailed. The first is Ectopia by Ernest Callenbach. The second is Anthill by Edward Wilson. Anthill is suspenseful so it might be more of what you are looking for since it should be faster paced.

3. I like reading books set in different countries. I just read one set in China, could you help me find one set in Japan? No, not modern – historical. I like it when the author describes it so much it feels like I was there!

Using Novelist, I would suggest The Teahouse Fire by Elllis Avery. I searched using Japanese historical fiction and limited the search to descriptive. The Teahouse Fire is a story surrounding a Japanese tea ceremony and takes place in the late 19th century. It is described as richly detailed and nostalgic story.

4. I read this great mystery by Elizabeth George called Well-Schooled in Murder and I loved it. Then my dentist said that if I liked mysteries I would probably like John Sandford, but boy was he creepy I couldn't finish it! Do you have any suggestions?

I searched Well-Schooled in Murder on Novelist and found some read-alike titles that I could suggest. Still Life by Louise Penny has many similarities to the Well-Schooled in Murder such both are listed as being character-driven, intricately plotted mysteries. Another read-alike title is The Man with a Load of Mischief by Martha Grimes. It also has similarities to Well-Schooled in Murder but with some wit and charm. Neither of these titles should be creepy.

5. My husband has really gotten into zombies lately. He’s already read The Walking Dead and World War Z, is there anything else you can recommend?

I used Novelist to find a read-alike title called Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion. I searched for The Walking Dead and refined my search to zombies to find this title. Library Journal and Kirkus give this novel good reviews and it has 5 stars based on popularity. I also searched for World War Z and found a read-alike book, The Zombie Autopsies: Secret Notebooks from the Apocalypse by Steven Schlozman.  This book is written for zombie fans and enthusiasts about a zombie research project and it also has great reviews. I would suggest both of these titles for your husband to read. 

6. I love books that get turned into movies, especially literary ones. Can you recommend some? Nothing too old, maybe just those from the last 5 years or so.

I can suggest several movies using "Based on the Book". Two titles released in 2015 are Brooklyn by Colm Toibin and The Danish Girl by David Ebershoff, both are based off these literary titles with the same name.  Both books are richly detailed in language. There is also the movie The History of Love released in 2016 based on the book by Nicole Krauss. "Based on the Book" is a compilation of books made into movies compiled by Mid-Continent Public Library. http://www.mymcpl.org/books-movies-music/based-book 

After selecting some titles from "Based on the Book", I then looked at Novelist for the books that were considered as literary titles.

7. I love thrillers but I hate foul language and sex scenes. I want something clean and fast paced.

I checked GoodReads for a list of clean thrillers that does not contain foul language or sexual content. I would suggest Where Eagles Dare by Alistair MacLean. It is listed as a fast paced adventure thriller and has a high rating of 4 out of 5 stars.

How do I find my books? I have several sources. I occasionally look at Library Journal, School Library Journal and Book Page to find out about new books. I also like to peruse Barnes and Noble (or other stores that carry books) to see what they have on display. I check out the New York Times best seller list every week and also look at some other book lists. I sometimes look at Amazon and GoodReads for reviews about titles. Sometimes my patrons suggest books to read. But I find most of my books when I check in or shelve material, straighten shelves and when we receive new books at the library.

Reading Profile

While I would occasionally read adult books, over the past few years my reading has been primarily focused on children's literature. Since I have switched to adult reference, I have tried to increase the number of adult books that I read, but I haven't had a lot of success. There are so many choices that I sometimes don't know where to begin. I am great at bring home stacks of books from the library, but I just read a few pages of each book then eventually return them. I don't know how many books that I read last year, but I am sure the number is only about ten to fifteen books that I actually read in entirety.

Unfortunately, I don't set reading as a high priority in my life. It is kind of embarrassing to think about since I am a librarian. Life is busy with many obligations and I tend to set reading down at the bottom of the list. I let little distractions like Facebook or television get in the way of taking the time to read. Instead, I push off reading until I am ready to climb into bed, which by then I am falling asleep. 

I was trying to determine what appeals to me as a reader. I tend to like books that have some humor and whit. I also like to read books in series that have the same character. I like reading mysteries, especially cozy mysteries. One of my favorite authors is Janet Evanovich. I like the characters that she has created because they are so quirky. Sometimes I hate when a book or series ends because I feel like I have lost a good friend. I sometimes read biographies and memoirs and I like some science fiction and fantasy, especially dystopian novels. I really liked the Hunger Games because it was such a different series than I had ever read before. It was fast-paced and kept my attention. I liked the character development as well as the story line. I have eclectic tastes and like to read in different genres as long as the book truly captivates me.

My favorite book/series:

1. Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins

2. Lizzy and Diesel (Wicked) series by Janet Evanovich

3. What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarity

4. Love Comes Softly series by Janet Oke

5. The Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley (children's)

I would like to increase the number of books that I read over the next year to at least 25 books. It would help me to make reading a priority if I set aside a certain time amount of time to read each day. In the past I have used Goodreads to track my reading. I need to go back to using this tool to keep an inventory of the books I have read and to record books I plan to read. Making a plan would assist in the overwhelming task of selecting books.